


A Heads Up Would've Been Nice

by sokkattome



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Bending (Avatar TV), Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bad Puns, Best Friends, Even worse than Sokka's because I'm writing it, Explicit Language, Friends to Lovers, Heads-up seven-up, I'll find it later and be sad, It's just relevant, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Aang/Katara, Oblivious Sokka (Avatar), Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Protective Azula (Avatar), Roommates, Soulmates, The one where you see colors after you touch your soulmate, There must be a name for that, This is so so stupid, Time Skips, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, and so does Sokka, but that's not the focus, but that's okay, but we love him, this is so stupid, why did I write this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:08:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26363167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sokkattome/pseuds/sokkattome
Summary: In which Sokka "meets" his soulmate in the worst way possible.OrHeads-up seven-up meets soulmate AU.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 63
Kudos: 546





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Why did I do this, you ask? I have no idea. I am so sorry why did I do this.  
> Anyway in this universe you can't see color until you touch your soulmate.  
> Also some explicit language towards the end because the longer I write the less filter I have.

Sokka didn't remember the day he learned about soulmates. It was something you knew, ostensibly, from the moment you were born. He had thought back a few times, tried to pinpoint an event or a talk, but to no avail.

He did, however, remember with vivid clarity the day he met his soulmate, because it was quite possibly the worst day of his life.

**SECOND GRADE**

Sokka welcomed the cool wood of the desk as he lay his head down and stuck out a hand with a thumb up. He squeezed his eyes shut. He knew most of his peers would not adhere to the rules as he did, but Sokka would rely on his intelligence and deductive reasoning to become one of the coveted seven.

He waited anxiously, hoping for a tap.

Some shuffling. Some giggles. Soft footsteps getting closer and closer until- Sokka felt a light tap on his thumb. Smiling to himself, he closed his thumb into his fist and awaited his moment.

"Alright, class, heads up!" The teacher announced. Sokka lifted his head and opened his eyes.

And immediately squeezed them shut again. There was something wrong with outside-- it didn't look the way it had moments ago. Tentatively, he cracked open his eyes. Everything was the same, but so different, so... saturated.

_Colorful_ , Sokka realized. Everything was colorful. _He could see color._ Sokka, clever as he was, could understand the implications of that: whoever had tapped his thumb was his soulmate. All he had to do now was guess correctly-- _and_ , he realized, _even if I don't guess correctly, they'll still have to reveal everyone in the end_. Sokka grinned. Some people went their whole life without meeting their soulmate, and he had found his at only 7 years old-- he was about to get a built-in best friend for life.

"Anyone who got a tap, stand up," the teacher called. Sokka, along with six other young children, shot up from his seat, his mind already at work to figure out who it could be out of the seven: Katara, Jet, Toph, Ty Lee, Mai, Zuko, or Suki. Well, it couldn't be Katara-- Sokka made a face at the thought. It DEFINITELY wasn't Jet. No way could the Spirits hate him that much. Toph would never have given such a light tap, plus they had definitely touched before, with all the arm-punches she gave out. Suki and him were best friends, so they'd definitely touched before, too. That left Ty Lee, Mai, or Zuko. Sokka had never hung out with them, so from here on out he would have to rely on instinct.

Except when Sokka looked over at the trio, Zuko was staring at him with those wide, golden eyes. It had to be him.

As the other six children threw out their guesses-- to be confirmed after all of them had chosen-- slow, sputtering, and unsure (aside from prodigal 6-year-old Aang, who guessed Katara without a moment's hesitation), Sokka could still feel the weight of Zuko's eyes on him. When it came his turn to guess, he met his burning gaze.

"I guess Zuko." The other boy turned even paler than his already porcelain skin.

"Alright, students, time to reveal the true answers, " the teacher proclaimed. Sokka smiled confidently, unperturbed by Zuko's apprehension (he was only 7, after all).

Aang was right (of course, Katara would do anything to have his big room-brightening grin directed at her). The other five students had mixed success. Toph cackled as she revealed the young student cradling their thumb had indeed been correct in guessing her (her goal was never to win, anyway). Jet smirked when he declared his culprit oblivious. Finally, they got to Sokka's guess. It had to be Zuko.

"Sokka, your guess is..." Zuko hesitated, eyes flicking from Sokka to the teacher to various students around the room, "incorrect. Someone else must have brushed you by accident, because my person was Azula." Azula, Zuko's younger sister who was even younger than Aang but was smarter than everyone in their class combined, stood easily from her desk across the room from Sokka's. There was no way Zuko could've been the one who brushed Sokka. Why had he been staring? Sokka's heart sank, and he felt sick; he had to know who had touched him.

"That's right, dear brother, I do remember someone tapping my thumb, but I thought I must've imagined it when seven people stood up. Sorry, Sokka." Azula smiled sweetly at the teacher, then Sokka, who was only barely paying attention to her words.

"Who brushed me, then?"

The seven children at the front of the room all gave noncommittal grunts and shrugs. Sokka was ready to tear his hair out. He scanned the room-- none of the other standing kids were close to him. Somebody had to be lying, right? What had happened?

Sokka's stomachache was not mitigated by his next thought: What if no one had touched him? What if the Spirits had been searching seven years for a soulmate for Sokka and had come up empty? What if they had given up and had gifted Sokka colors as a consolation? 

Later that night, Sokka voiced his concerns to his mother.

"My sweet boy, you have nothing to fear," Kya soothed. "You'll come together one day; they just weren't ready today."

"But why?" Sokka whined, ever a petulant child. Kya gave her son a sad smile.

"Not everyone is as lucky as you and me. Some people just need some time to accept love. You'll just have to be patient, sweet boy."

**ELEVENTH GRADE**

It had been 9 years, and Sokka was tired of being patient. He had tried to keep tabs on his second grade class, but that had proved a difficult task; Zuko and Azula had transferred the following year, Mai and Ty Lee left not long after, and dozens of his other peers were scattered as well. So Sokka hadn't waited. It wasn't uncommon to date someone who wasn't your soulmate-- it was only taboo if one or more partners knew who their soulmate(s) was(were). And Sokka didn't. So he dated a few people, among which included Suki, several times, before they finally figured out they were better off friends.

But it had been 9 years, and after watching his friends, his sister, and strangers on the street find their soulmates, Sokka couldn't bear to date anymore. No, he had a mission. He would be patient. His mother had assured him they'd be ready one day, and Sokka was going to greet them with open arms when that day came.

**TWELFTH GRADE**

"Woah, sick scar, man. How'd you get it?"

The boy raised his eyebrow and stared at Sokka. Briefly, Sokka wondered if that was perhaps not the most tactful way to greet the new kid, who Sokka would be lab partners with the remainder of the year. 

"A... stove?" The other boy's hand went to his hair, like he was considering taking it down from it's short ponytail just to cover the scar-- which wouldn't work, that thing was half his face. 

"Cool! I'm Sokka." Sokka decided the best way to move on from this was to _move on from this_. He was never good at talking to cute boys. The other boy looked towards the board, hiding his expression from Sokka.

"Zuko." Zuko? _The_ Zuko?

"Hey, did you go to Westbrook Elementary?"

Zuko stiffened.

"Yeah, up 'til second grade." Zuko said, keeping his eyes on the board.

"Oh cool, me too. I think I remember you. You look a lot different though," Sokka added, glancing at Zuko's toned arms and sharp jawline. 

"Scars will do that to you."

Well, shit. Sokka just couldn't stop putting his foot in his mouth. This was going to be a rough semester.

**COLLEGE, FRESHMAN YEAR**

Sokka glanced around the room. He was lucky his roommate was his best friend, who had practically lived in his room this past summer, because there was no way he could share this closet they called a dorm with anyone else. He debated which bed to take for a while before just throwing his stuff on one, realizing they'd probably end up on the same bed anyway. They'd shared at Sokka's house, he didn't see why that would change here. Zuko would still have nightmares, and Sokka would still get cold; bed-sharing was a mutually beneficial relationship. Sokka began to unpack, starting with the essentials (posters and his boomerang collection). He paused to turn and face Zuko as he walked into the dorm with his bags. Sokka had the unncanny ability to tell when Zuko was coming-- a useful skill, since the other boy was so light on his feet.

"Sokka, have you seen the bathrooms?" Zuko complained. They had tried very hard to land a suite, but it was a futile effort for freshmen; they were destined for the hall-style. Sokka winced.

"That bad?"

"The shower curtains are like, this wide," Zuko held his hands about a foot apart. Sokka hoped he was exaggerating-- he did have a tendency to be dramatic when it came to hygiene. Sokka raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Okay, they're like this wide." Zuko widened his hands a considerable amount. "But still!"

"You just gotta stick it out for the year. Then next year we'll get an apartment and have our own bathroom, with all the shower curtains you want."

And for whatever reason, Zuko blushed.

**COLLEGE, JUNIOR YEAR**

"This is despicable," Sokka slurred, "who would put orange and purple together? And on something as important as a wedding color scheme! I can't believe I allowed my own sister to commit such an atrocity."

"Well," Zuko said, considerably less slurred (don't let his lean stature fool you; Zuko was no lightweight), "what would you have instead?"

"Blue and gold," Sokka replied with no hesitation. Zuko chuckled.

"So you've thought about this?"

Sokka nodded. "I've planned it all."

"And how would your future fiance feel about that? They don't get to contribute?"

Sokka shrugged noncommittally. "I'm the plans guy. He'd just have to deal."

Zuko stiffened. "He? You're bi, how do you know it's a he?"

Sokka, too intoxicated to be concerned by this, just shrugged again. "'Just is." Zuko frowned a bit, but relaxed.

"Okay then."

"How do _youuu_ know it's a he?" Sokka challenged, sticking an accusatory finger at his housemate.

"I'm gay?" Zuko furrowed his brow. "Kind of eliminates the other options."

"Oh, yeah," Sokka nodded resolutely. "That makes sense."

They sat in silence for a while, watching Aang spin Katara around (and vice versa) on the dance floor. Have known they were soulmates almost since they could walk, they got married as soon as Katara turned 21 ("I want to be able to _legally_ drink at my wedding," Katara had insisted; Aang, however, with his vegan and alcohol-free diet, had no issue tying the knot at 20). No one advised otherwise, because, well, they were Aang and Katara-- inseparable since age 5. They were going to be together anyway, did it matter if they got married now rather than a few years down the line? At least now they would get a bunch of free stuff for their house Gran Gran didn't know they already lived in together.

Sokka turned to Zuko with a giant grin. "Dance with me?"

Zuko blushed, but grinned back mischievously. "Always."

**COLLEGE, SENIOR YEAR**

Sokka stared up at the stars, so much clearer here than in the city. Zuko had been right, a mountain trip was exactly what he needed to clear his head after finals. He would've gone crazy in their tiny house, just waiting for his grades. Zuko had a tendency to be right about these kinds of things. And by "these kinds of things," he means everything concerning himself and his well-being. 

Sokka felt the familiar presence of Zuko laying beside him. They hadn't talked about what would happen next year. Presumably, they'd both have jobs and wouldn't need to live together. Sokka didn't think he could take that.

"Is it possible to love someone who's not your soulmate?" The question hung in the air, and Sokka wondered if he'd said something wrong, but then he heard Zuko shifting to face him.

"Are you in love with someone?"

Sokka met Zuko's golden eyes for a moment, before flicking them back to the sky.

"Yeah." A beat as Sokka considered if he truly wanted to know the answer to his next question, not acknowledging Zuko's lack of response to the first. It'd been more rhetorical, anyway. "Have you met your soulmate?"

Zuko paused but continued to face Sokka, whose gaze remained forward, "Yes."

"Why aren't you with them?"

Another pause.

"I missed my chance."

"How so?"

Zuko studied Sokka for a moment, before he seemed to decide something.

"I was young. I was scared. When I got older, I didn't say anything because I thought he knew and was just upset with me. By the time I realized he didn't, it had been too long." Finally, Sokka turned his head to look at Zuko. His eyes held a challenge, and the weight of them brought him back to that day fifteen years ago. 

"It was you." Sokka didn't feel shocked by this revelation. Really, it seemed obviously looking back, and some part of him must've known. He sat up to face Zuko properly. Zuko eyed Sokka warily, as if he wasn't sure whether to run and hide or kiss him. Honestly, Sokka wasn't sure either.

"You fucker! You should've told me!" He whacked Zuko's arm, who frowned, more confused than anything. "It would've made everything so much easier."

"What easier?" Zuko furrowed his brow and looked at Sokka strangely.

Sokka took Zuko's face in his hands. He still wore that apprehensive frown, and Sokka wanted nothing more than to kiss it off of him.

"I love you, you absolute dumbass."

"I'm not a dumbass, I just finished college," Zuko protested (as would always be his gut reaction). Then: "Oh. I love you too."

Sokka sighed contently, holding Zuko's face in both his hands for another moment before: "I'm going to kiss you now."

"Okay," Zuko's frown began to dissipate, replaced with that mischievous grin, and he leaned in before Sokka could even get the chance. Not that Sokka was complaining. 

When they got back in the car to drive home, Sokka turned to Zuko.

"I'm still very mad at you."

Zuko winced. "As you should be."

"But I'm willing to forgive, so long as you give me a _heads up_ next time."

Zuko winced again, and Sokka just grinned.

"That was terrible, Sokka. We've talked about this. No more puns."

"Puns make everything better. That's a good rule of _thumb_."

Zuko groaned. " _Sokka_."

Sokka just shrugged. "You brought this upon yourself." Zuko sighed.

"Can't argue with that."

"Nope!" Sokka grinned, popping the "p". "Now take us home, I need to see if I failed that Advanced Chemistry final or not."


	2. A Look Into Sokka's Chaotic Mind Not Being Completely Oblivious for 5 Minutes (that's generous, more like 1 or 2 minutes)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka realizes he's in love with his best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a short scene in which Sokka realizes what should have been obvious to him years ago. He oblivious but we love him anyway.  
> Set during senior year of college.  
> Also: Sokka and Zuko rent a house together. They do have separate rooms, but usually end up sleeping in the same bed because of reasons outlined in the previous chapter. And yes, they do have a cat. Zuko adopted him and then he became theirs because they share basically everything.

Sokka was procrastinating. Again. He couldn't help it-- what was he supposed to do, his homework?

Usually when Sokka procrastinated, it was with Zuko (who already had all his work done, that productive bastard); however, Zuko was visiting his sister for the weekend, leaving Sokka all alone in their tiny little house, which had never felt larger.

Sokka sighed and closed his laptop, scrolling through his contacts for the millionth time that night, before landing on Zuko's, as he had the previous 999,999 times. He hadn't changed the contact name since they'd met, so it remained _Zuko AP Bio Lab Partner Badass Scar_. The picture, however, had been updated many times-- every picture Sokka took of Zuko was better than the last. The most recent evolution depicted Zuko just after his sleeve had caught on fire while attempting to make crème brûlée. Zuko hadn't flailed around or ran to the sink; instead, he had looked up at Sokka expectantly (who was pulling out his phone to document the event), like he would have the solution to the problem he was currently facing. It had only lasted a moment before Zuko had patted out the flames himself, but it was that moment Sokka's phone had captured.

It was Sunday night. Zuko had said he'd be home around eleven. Sokka checked the time, which had progressed exactly two minutes since he last checked it: it was now nine-thirty. Zuko might be on his way home. He could wait twenty minutes, just to be sure... 

Or he could call him right now. He'd call him now. If Zuko was busy, he wouldn't pick up, right?

The line didn't ring once before he heard Zuko's voice on the other end.

"Sokka, did Druk bite you again? I told you, our cat will leave you alone if you'd just stop messing with him. I can't believe I left you with him for two days _unsupervised_."

"It was _ONE TIME!_ And animals love me. There's just something wrong with that cat." Sokka huffed indignantly, or attempted to-- he was grinning so wide he didn't think he pulled it off quite right. He hadn't realized just how much he'd needed to hear Zuko's voice until now.

"Sure, Sokka. So if it's not Druk, what happened? Did the doorbell ring? Sokka, you're an adult, just answer the door."

"What- no. I- _Stranger danger_ , Zuko. It's always good to be on high alert. And anyway, I'll have you know that everything is going swimmingly over here."

"What'd you have for dinner?" Sokka hesitated. He could lie, but it was always fun to get Zuko all riled up.

"... Ramen?"

" _Sokka_. I literally prepared meals for you. You did not need to turn to such a decrepit source of nutrition."

Zuko _had_ prepared meals for him-- he always did when he went away. Zuko was the chef of the house; Sokka was decidedly not. He _could_ make a mean bowl of cereal, but he supposed that was a low bar.

"Zuko, you know I love your food. But ramen is delicious, and I know it's pure salt, but that's exactly what makes it so good!"

"When I get home, I am burning every godforsaken pack of ramen in our pantry. We're cutting you off."

"No! I promise I'll eat less! Please, Ba- Zuko, don't take my noodles!" Sokka recovered quickly from the slip-up; it happened fairly often. Never had he _actually_ slipped up and called Zuko "Babe" (at least when sober; he can't speak for Drunk Sokka), though. Zuko did it, too. They lived together, and spent most every minute together-- it was bound to happen. Nothing weird about it at all.

Zuko just hummed in response, which Sokka knew meant he was joking, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to hide the ramen before Zuko got home.

"Why'd you call?"

Why had Sokka called? Did he need a reason to call his best friend? Maybe. He _was_ visiting family, after all.

"Just wondering if you were on your way home."

"Why?" And Sokka could _hear_ Zuko grinning that stupid grin, "Miss me?"

"Maybe," Sokka decided. "It's too cold here," he added defensively.

"It's been two days, Sokka. I swear, you do this every time I leave. It's like you can't live without me. Honestly, with your natural eating habits, you probably can't."

Sokka's brain froze, not even able to create a come-back for the insult as his mind replayed Zuko's words.

_You do this every time. It's like you can't live without me._

He couldn't. 

And just like that, Sokka was imagining what it would be like when they went their separate ways. Eventually, they'd both get jobs, and wouldn't need a roommate.

Zuko might move away. 

_Sokka_ might move away.

What would living without Zuko be like? Endless ramen, no teasing, no waking up in the middle of the night to screams from the other side of the bed.

No one to tell Sokka to stop eating crap. No one to cry with Sokka on the anniversary of his mother's death. No one to binge watch shitty reality TV with until three am. Sokka couldn't torment Zuko with terrible puns. He couldn't hold him at night-- oh Spirits, who would hold Zuko when he can't go back to sleep? Sokka's stomach dropped when he imagined Zuko alone on those nights-- and his heart clenched when he imagined Zuko with someone else. This could be his last year with Zuko, and he had just let him leave for _two whole days?_ He should've gone with him. Azula terrified him, but it would've been worth it, just for another two days with Zuko.

Oh, Spirits. Sokka was in love with Zuko.

"Sokka? Are you still there? Shit, sorry, Sokka, you know I'm joking, right?" Zuko sounded almost panicked, desperate.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, no, it's cool," Sokka's brain stopped for a minute, trying to catch up. "So are you on your way home?"

"Hang on." Sokka heard some shuffling and a muffled _I gotta go. No, that's not why, shut up Azula_.

"Yeah, I'm on my way home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a little more angsty than I intended, but isn't everything?

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic, so if it sucked then sorry! It is based off of heads-up seven-up, so I'm not sure how much potential it really had in the first place lmao


End file.
